Book Sample: The Fourfold Purpose of Marriage Part 2

“Every day, the church is becoming more like the world it allegedly seeks to change,” says George Barna, a reputable statistics engineer regarding Christian issues. It is his belief, as well as many others including myself, that time is passing and soon the trend will be irreversible.

Before I post a book sample for the fourfold purpose of marriage, I want to cover some statistics about marriage and mediocrity within the Body of Christ. Below you can find a sample from a chapter from my book What Every Woman Should Know, called In Perfect Union.

It is a wake-up call to hear that professing Christians are not living lives that look different than the world. Barna says, “American Christianity has largely failed since the middle of the twentieth century, because Jesus’ modern-day disciples do not act like Jesus.” To me, the news, the statistics are devastating. My testimony is weak if I am not a living example.

And if individually I am not a living example, how can my marriage be? If someone were to ask me “Why should I marry?” what would I say? If they are believers, I can tell them the institution of marriage was ordained by God. If they are not, what more can I offer them? What proofs do I have that make marriage an attractive option?

“Couples that pray together, stay together.” This statistic has proven true. How do I and my spouse rate? While my husband and I spent a couple of years without earning an income, we spent our time renovating our village house in Spain. Our time was our own. Sadly, we did not spend much time praying together. Our daily routines differ, so do our spiritual disciplines.

Knowing the statistics, it has made a difference. We still struggle, though, to make a conscious effort. We are not alone in this. Unfortunately, it is the norm. Christians simply aren’t using their weapons. Surely, this is valid evidence that there is something the church is not really believing.

This affects the individual, the couple and ultimately the entire body. The truth is, the more life goes on, the less people are giving to the church and the wealthy give even less of a portion of their earnings. I am not just talking dinero. I am talking time. The chances are couples will be praying less today than Christian couples in the last decade. What will it look like, then, in the next decade?